And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father…And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother…he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God…And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.”
2 Kings 4:18-22 (KJV)
According to 2 Kings 4, the Shunammite woman has proven to be an interesting character, and there is certainly more we can learn from her life. She brought forth a son as was prophesied unto her by Elisha, and to fast forward the account, the child grew and, one day, went to the field with his father, where he became ill. His father gave instructions for him to be carried to his mother. He sat on her knees and eventually died. Of course, this was devastating, but the woman acted with valour and faith. She laid his body on the prophet’s bed and went hurriedly in pursuit of the man of God whom she knew would be able to help in this crisis situation.
When the man of God saw her coming, he sent his servant to find out if all was well. Her reply was in the affirmative, even though she was distressed. However, when she approached the prophet, she expressed her true feelings; her only son was dead, and she was desperate. The prophet sent his servant ahead, and Gehazi laid Elisha’s staff on the dead child, but nothing happened. The prophet came subsequently and went into the room, and in privacy, as he laid upon the lifeless body of the child, life was fully restored to him. His mother bowed in gratitude and collected her son, who was once dead but was now alive.
Today, I encourage everyone reading or listening to this devotion to be brave and trust God, especially in difficult circumstances. He still performs miracles. I know this is easier said than done, but I am certain that after you read the passage of Scripture outlined, your faith will be activated even more, and believe that God has the power to do anything.
Beloved, God is calling us to a higher level. The Shunammite woman exemplified noble character and courage in the face of the death of her only child, and God honoured her faith by giving life to her boy a second time. Let us take a page from her book as an example for our lives.
Read: 2 Kings 4:23-37
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 10:1-10; Luke 18:31-43; Luke 19:1-10; Deuteronomy 29; Deuteronomy 30:1-10
Amen. Blessed is His Holy word for today.